Clair Obscur Archives

AppWizard

March 2, 2026

Resident Evil Requiem is currently Metacritic users’ top-rated game of all time

Resident Evil Requiem has achieved a 9.5 average user score on Metacritic, matching Clair Obscur Expedition 33, and has an average critic score of 88, positioning it as a top contender for Game of the Year. It shares the top spot on the 2026 charts with Mewgenics, both holding an average score of 89 on Opencritic. Requiem is currently ranked number one on Metacritic's 'Best Games by User Score' page, indicating strong public sentiment. The game has received close to 2,500 user reviews, while Expedition 33 has over 24,000. On Steam, it has an 'overwhelmingly positive' user score of 96%, based on 18,000 English-language reviews.

AppWizard

February 23, 2026

Newzoo: Top Games of 2025 on PC & Console

PC and Nintendo Switch are more welcoming to new intellectual properties (IPs) compared to PlayStation and Xbox. The top-selling PC game of 2025 is Battlefield 6, followed by ARC Raiders and Schedule I. New IPs like R.E.P.O. and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are also performing well on PC. In the console market, sports games dominate revenue rankings for PlayStation and Xbox, while first-party titles excel on Nintendo Switch. Indie and AA games such as Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades II, Fantasy Life i, and Tiny Bookshop are achieving impressive sales on the Switch. The top games by Monthly Active Users (MAU) include Counter-Strike 2, Roblox, and Fortnite.

AppWizard

February 17, 2026

In a triple-A world, Fable’s Peter Molyneux just wants his new god game to bring “joy”

In 2025, the game "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" has gained popularity for its narrative and visual style. The gaming industry has seen increased production costs and ambitions, leading to expansive open worlds and cinematic storylines in triple-A games. However, some high-profile titles like "Dragon Age: The Veilguard," "Star Wars Outlaws," and "Starfield" have struggled to deliver fun. Indie games such as "Hades 2" and "Expedition 33" excel in providing enjoyable experiences. Game designer Peter Molyneux emphasized the importance of joy in gaming, particularly in his upcoming project "Masters of Albion," which aims to evoke a sense of escapism and creativity. Molyneux seeks to create an engaging experience filled with humor and joy, focusing on player feedback during the game's early access phase.

AppWizard

February 16, 2026

The Hundred Line has changed how I think about choice and consequences in games, and I can’t put it back in the box

The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy is a video game that emphasizes player choice and branching narratives, allowing for a varied storytelling experience. It begins with a linear narrative where players defend a school over a hundred days, gradually uncovering character backstories. The game features a time-rewind mechanic that enables players to explore alternative choices, leading to significant changes in the storyline and character outcomes. Each decision can result in different scenarios, evolving boss encounters, and character development based on player actions. The game has gained traction since its release and is available on Steam for .99 / £49.99, with a demo also accessible. The developers express aspirations for future expansions that could extend the narrative significantly.

AppWizard

February 16, 2026

The Hundred Line has changed how I think about choice and consequences in games, and I can’t put it back in the box

The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy immerses players in the consequences of their choices, allowing for significant alterations to the storyline through a time-rewind mechanic. The game features a linear narrative where players defend a school over a hundred days, gradually uncovering character stories. Each decision leads to distinct outcomes, creating a rich tapestry of branching narratives. Character development is emphasized, with companions evolving based on player choices. The game has achieved market success and is priced at .99 / £49.99 on Steam, with a demo available for players to experience its mechanics.

AppWizard

February 14, 2026

A fraction of the most popular PC games over the past year use hardware-level ray tracing, which is far fewer than I’d predict just 24 months ago

Ray tracing technology has seen a decline in prevalence among popular new game releases as developers prioritize optimized performance due to hardware challenges. In the past year, only a few titles have utilized ray tracing, such as Monster Hunter Wilds for basic reflections and Borderlands 4 using software-based Lumen from Unreal Engine 5. Indie games are increasingly favored for their accessibility and lower development costs, often avoiding high-performance techniques. Unreal Engine 5 has led to a resurgence of software-based ray tracing, though hardware ray tracing can provide better results at the cost of performance. Upcoming titles like Elden Ring: Nightreign and Battlefield 6 have opted out of hardware ray tracing to focus on gameplay performance. Many award-winning games have also chosen not to implement hardware-based ray tracing, emphasizing gameplay experience over graphical fidelity. Despite its reduced prominence, ray tracing remains a valuable tool for enhancing gaming experiences when used thoughtfully. The potential for ray tracing to improve visual storytelling continues as hardware becomes more accessible.

AppWizard

January 22, 2026

January Xbox Update: Xbox Expands to Arm-based PCs, Game Save Sync Indicator, and More

Xbox is introducing updates to enhance gaming experiences, including the Xbox PC app for Arm-based Windows 11 PCs, allowing downloads from the Xbox PC app catalog and access to Xbox Game Pass. A new Game Save Sync Indicator feature provides real-time visibility into cloud save status for seamless gameplay across devices. Xbox has partnered with Hisense and V homeOS to enable cloud gaming on select Smart TVs. The Handheld Compatibility Program highlights games optimized for portable play, with recent additions such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. The Xbox Play Anywhere initiative now supports over 1,000 games for cross-platform play, including titles like Abyss DX and Cyberpunk Hacker. The Stream Your Own Game feature allows Xbox Game Pass subscribers to stream from a library of over 1,000 owned games, including Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. Xbox is reviving retro classics through a collaboration with Antstream Arcade, featuring over 100 titles and community challenges. Support for mouse and keyboard navigation has been expanded to over 230 games, and touch controls are available on cloud. Community feedback is encouraged to shape future developments, and players can join the Xbox Insider Program for early access to new features.

AppWizard

January 13, 2026

After Expedition 33’s success, Split Fiction’s Josef Fares warns publishers not to “only do” double-A

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has received critical acclaim and commercial success, winning Game of the Year at the previous year’s Game Awards. Josef Fares, founder of Hazelight Studios, warns the triple-A gaming sector against merely replicating trends from Expedition 33's success, emphasizing the need for innovation rather than imitation. He highlights the importance of diversity in gaming, asserting that both triple-A and double-A titles have their place in the industry. Fares points out that while high-budget games face pressure to avoid risks, innovation is still possible, citing examples from studios like Naughty Dog, Rockstar, and Nintendo. He also mentions that other major studios, such as Capcom, are exploring unconventional ideas.

AppWizard

January 7, 2026

Valve announced the 2025 Steam Awards winners (and shockingly Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 didn’t win everything)

Valve announced the winners of the 2025 Steam Awards, highlighting user preferences on the gaming platform. Hollow Knight: Silksong was the only title to win multiple awards, while Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won the Best Soundtrack Award. The Steam Awards, held annually since 2016, are determined by user votes, with this year's selections showcasing a diverse range of titles, including smaller games like The Midnight Walk and RV There Yet?.

AppWizard

January 5, 2026

Hollow Knight Silksong wins Steam’s Game of the Year with a staggering 43 million votes from PC players

Hollow Knight Silksong won the Game of the Year at the 2025 Steam Awards, receiving 43.8 million votes. It also won the award for Best Game You Suck At. The game was released on September 4, 2025, and experienced significant traffic that caused outages on platforms like Steam and Xbox. It did not win the Game Awards' GOTY, which went to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Players can expect additional content with the upcoming Sea of Sorrow expansion. Other notable awards included Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for Best Soundtrack, Hades 2 as Best Game on Steam Deck, Silent Hill F for Outstanding Visual Style, and The Midnight Walk as VR Game of the Year. Team Cherry is also developing a new release for the Nintendo Switch 2. Baldur’s Gate 3 received the Labor of Love award.